The International Maritime Organisation has set the shipping industry a target of reaching net zero by around 2050. But with shipping emitting one billion metric tons of CO2 per year (more than the annual CO2 emissions of Germany), there’s a long way for the industry to go to clean up its act. With the majority of global trade relying on shipping—and emissions increasing by 14 percent in 2024—it’s about time for a drastic solution.
UK-based start-up Seabound might have exactly that. The female-founded company is working on a carbon capture solution for the maritime industry, designed to attach to cargo ships to reduce their CO2 emissions. With a recent investment of £1.1 million from the UK government as part of its Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, the team is confident that they’ll reach their goal of “[strapping the device] to ships across the world’s oceans”.
A holistic transition to net zero
RESET spoke to Dr Seyedvahid Vakili, Research Fellow and Champion of Maritime Decarbonisation at the University of Southampton, about solutions for decarbonising the shipping industry. He told us that, “To realistically achieve net zero, the industry needs a holistic, systematic and transdisciplinary approach.”
He explained that, “The real backbone of the transition will be net-zero alternative fuels, which could provide about 60 percent of the total decarbonisation potential by 2050.” These fuels include green hydrogen, green ammonia, green methanol and sustainable biofuels.
As for Seabound’s carbon capture, Vakili sees it as a “valuable bridge” rather than a permanent solution. “[Technologies like this can buy time] for the shipping industry until net-zero alternative fuels become widely available.” So, could net zero in maritime still be achievable? “If stakeholders work together, reaching the 2050 target is ambitious but still within reach,” Vakili believes.
Seabound Co-Founders Alisha Fredriksson and Roujia Wen Seabound’s streamlined design turns carbon into concrete
How exactly does Seabound’s carbon capture solution work? The design consists of containers that hold thousands of quicklime pellets. The ship’s fumes are piped through this lime, turning the carbon into limestone. When the ship reaches port, the containers are reprocessed. Now safely onshore, the resulting limestone is used in cement manufacturing to create net-zero concrete.
Seabound designed its containers to be stacked like regular cargo, allowing ships to adopt carbon capture without modifying their vessels. To drive adoption, the founders wanted to keep the price accessible, in the tens of thousands of euros. Vakili points out that, “[Seabound] avoids many of the infrastructure and storage challenges of new fuels, allowing shipowners to cut emissions now while preparing for a fuel transition later.”
However, Vakili adds, simply running the carbon capture system needs more energy and raises operating costs. Moreover, the system requires space onboard, despite its streamlined design. “Managing the logistics of offloading and reprocessing this material at ports is another operational challenge,” Vakili tells us. And without a clear international framework for how to account for captured emissions in carbon markets, investors might be cautious. “[Seabound’s] success will depend on overcoming these technical, logistical and regulatory barriers—and proving that the benefits outweigh the costs across a wide range of ship types.”
Carbon capture must remain a “transitional solution”
In 2023, Seabound’s first carbon capture pilot successfully captured CO2 at 80 percent efficiency. The team hopes to capture 100 million tonnes of CO2 by 2040.
However, carbon capture mustn’t become a distraction on the path to net zero. “It could potentially reduce incentives to invest in zero-emission fuels,” Vakili points out, adding that it should be viewed strictly as a “transitional solution”.
As for other ways to reduce emissions in shipping, improving energy efficiency is crucial. “One technology gaining significant attention is wind-assisted propulsion, which can cut fuel consumption by up to 25 percent,” he tells us. “I believe this will play an increasingly important role in the market as fuel prices and carbon costs rise.”
Electric vessels also have a part to play, while policy (such as GHG pricing mechanisms, efficiency standards and green finance) is a critical factor. But, “no single solution will deliver net zero alone,” Vakili believes. “Success will depend on a combination of zero or near-zero fuels, efficiency measures, electrification and supportive policies working together.” As for carbon capture solutions such as Seabound’s, they are “a bridge, not the final destination”.
